A Desire To Change

A desire to change

1Peter 4:1-10

Good morning everyone, please turn with me to 1 Peter 4:1-10

Let’s Pray-

Father, May we have a desire to change how we think and how we act if how we think and how we act is not lining up with your thoughts. May we desire to allow you to change what is needed so that we could be what we were created to be. Use us in this world to show the light of Jesus to a dying world that thinks they are alive. Help us to be the light and allow your light to shine in us and through us.

1 Peter 4:1-10 Read from Bible

Peter gives us an insight of what it is to live for God in a world that struggles with God.

A world that struggles because they don’t like giving up Lordship of their lives to Jesus.

Right out of the gate, Peter tells us if we are to do that (give up lordship of our lives) we must have the same attitude as Jesus (willing to suffer) that serving God and living for God is going to have us suffer at times… for God.

He says that just like Jesus suffered in his body, we must be willing to suffer. He says plainly that by suffering in our bodies and in getting rid of our wrong attitudes and taking on the attitude of Christ that we will not live in sin but allow the Lord to change us from what we were to what He wants us to be.

Hold on because we are going right to the deep end of the pool-Put your arm floaties on!

Some people are willing to almost do anything to avoid pain and change- As followers of Jesus, we have given up that right and should be willing to suffer if necessary to do God’s will in our lives. Sin losses its power when we are focusing on Jesus and what He wants us to do.

When we are in pain, or our lives in jeopardy, our real values will be exposed and revealed. We talked last week about that. I f anyone suffers for doing good and still obeys the things of God, in our lives will show that we have made a break from sin and wanting to live a life that is Christ-like.

Remember Acts chapter 9- Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus- it was a radical change! He went from wanting to put Christians in jail or worse to kill them for polluting what he thought was the truths that God wanted. He had an encounter with Jesus!

No one will make a radical change without having a radical encounter with Jesus.

No one is willing to give up their will for the will of God until they have had an encounter with Jesus.

No one is willing to die for their faith until they have had an encounter with Jesus that says it is worth giving up your life for.

No one will die a martyr with a faith or truth that they are not 100% sure of.

To change there is suffering

(4) “They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation,…and they heap abuse on you.”

A person who changes how they live and what they live for will no doubt experience some harsh feelings from his/her friends.

They will be mad that you don’t do the same things that you did before.

You do not laugh at the same things that you thought were once funny.

Your priorities have changed direction with the change of your heart and life.

They will notice that you are going one way and they are going in the opposite direction.

Your very example of life now incriminates their sinful behavior.

Billy Graham who I believe to be one of the most effective Evangelist of the 21st century had a heart to see people changed from their sinful nature that we were born with to a new creation in Jesus Christ.

“All ages, all nationalities, all races, all religions, rich and poor, educated and uneducated-thousands of people from all walks of live testify to the change Christ brings in their lives as they come forward for a relationship with Christ.”

Time alone is the great judge of the genuineness of people’s decision. God sees and knows the heart.

Billy gave salvation invitations with the heart of a servant that says I am just the messenger and my job is to tell people that Jesus loves them, and Jesus died for them, and he will forgive them. You are not coming forward for me or to me, but you are receiving Jesus into your lives.

As most of you know my story with my acceptance of Christ as I listened to Billy Graham on television. It was with mocking him and the Spirit of God getting a hold of my heart and transforming mocking to Servanthood.